Daring Bakers – Strudel and more

Another month went by and as usual it is time to show how we managed to complete the monthly DB challenge.

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Strudel… I love strudels and I tried making strudel dough several times until now. The results were not as I would have liked so I always turned to store bought phylo. This time it was mandatory to get it right. I made this dough 3 times this month. The first time it was great – it was the dough I have been searching. I made mini tarts with lemon mousse and topped with cherry sauce. Some of the tart shells have been served as ice cream cones to the chidren and they loved them – that is how the second time appeared. My daughter wanted her ice cream only in phylo cups.

As with the last few challenges this one also allowed millions of combinations and of course it was really difficult to make a decision. So, I made: peach mousse and cashew crumble mini tarts, mango and papaya strudel, cheese and cherry berry jam strudel and a few chocolate – biscotti triangles.

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it’s about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Peach mousse and cashew crumble mini tartsTo make the cups

30 g brown sugar
30 g pistachios
butter to brush the dough

After step 2 above, I divided the dough in 40 g balls.
Roll two balls of dough as thin as you can. Brush the first one with melted butter and sprinkle the sugar/ pistachio mixture all over. Top with the second one. Using a cookie cutter, cut as many circles as you can and place them in well buttered muffin pans or mini tart pans.
Bake them at 200 degrees Celsius for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water and let it bloom for about 10 minutes. In the meantime heat the peach puree and the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add in the gelatin stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Let it cool to room temperature. Add half of the whipped cream and gently incorporate it. Add the rest of the cream.
Pipe the mousse inside the tart shells.

Cashew crumble
As a note, this is the crumble that i always use when I crave fruit crumbles. It is adapted from David Lebovitz

In a food processor combine the first 4 ingredients and the cinnamon if using. Pulse until the nuts are as fine as you like them. Add the butter cut in cubes. Pulse until the butter is finely broken up and the mixture no longer looks sandy and is starting to stick and clump together. Refrigerate until ready to use. I usually freeze part of the crumble.
Preheat the oven at 175 degrees Celsius. Spread part of the crumble in a pan covered with parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Let it cool completely and sprinkle over the tarts (as my tarts are very small, I dipped them in the crumble).

Preheat the oven at 185 degrees Celsius.
Mix the fruit, the sugar, the jam and the rum. Set aside.
Crumble the biscotti in a food processor.
Brush the dough with the butter. Sprinkle some biscotti crumbles on one side (leave about 1.5 cm on top and on the bottom). Spoon the fruit mix over the crumbles and top with the rest of the crumbles. Fold the upper and bottom edges over the filling. Fold the closer edge over the filling as well and start rolling the strudel as a jelly roll using the cloth underneath. Place the strudel on the baking pan lined with parchment paper. Brush more butter on top and sprinkle some brown sugar. Bake the strudel for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Biscotti and chocolate triangles

shaved bittersweet chocolate
crumbled biscotti
butter for the dough

Roll another ball of dough. Brush with melted butter. Fold it in 2 lengthwise. Place chocolate and biscotti at about 1.5 cm from the top and start folding the dough. Check this post for great pictured instructions. Brush the top with melted butter. Sprinkle sugar, or crumble on top and bake as above.

Place the curd and the sugar in a clean bowl and beat them until smooth. Add the egg and beat until well blended. Scrape the vanilla bean and mix everything.
Proceed as for the above roll: butter, then crumbles, them cheese mixture, jam and finish with another sprinkle of crumled biscotti.

Thank you. They are many as I could not decide among them and because everyone in my house has her or his own preferences: my daughter devoured the chocolate ones, hubby went for the cheese ones and I was left with the fruity ones :)

What a coincidence: when I thought of including papaya in my strudel, I searched the internet to see how it behaves when baked and I found your lovely blog and read all about papaya there. Thank you for the wonderful info that you are providing.